*Something that happened 3 months ago*
The St. Freya campus was peaceful and quiet in the late afternoon, but that atmosphere didn't last long.
"YOU DAMN CROW MOUTH! STOP!"
Kiana Kaslana's angry shout echoed throughout the school grounds, breaking the silence. Running ahead of her was Yumeji Satsuki – a troublemaker student of the academy, with a mischievous smile on his face and a pudding he had just stolen from the refrigerator.
"Silly girl, I was just helping you free up some space in the refrigerator. Thank you, the pudding is delicious!"
Yumeji turned her head to tease as she ran, taking a provocative bite of the pudding.
"YOU DAMN BASTARD! YOU'RE A THIEF!"
Kiana screamed, trying to run faster but couldn't catch up to Yumeji.
After a few minutes, Kiana had to stop, panting, while Yumeji calmly sat down on a stone bench, enjoying the "spoils of war".
She glared at him sharply before angrily walking away.
"Ha, don't even dream of catching up with me at that speed, white cat," I sneered, leaning back in my chair, enjoying the feeling of victory.
---
Yumeji was enjoying a rare moment of relaxation when a familiar voice rang out behind him.
"Yumeji, I heard you've angered Kiana again?"
He turned around, meeting the eyes of Himeko - the supervising teacher and also the direct victim of the huge debt he was carrying. Her familiar red outfit made her look both strict and... a little scary.
"Oh, Miss Himeko, I didn't expect you to be free to take a walk at this hour." Yumeji smiled half-heartedly, but inside she was already a little wary.
"I came here to remind you, kid. Don't you think teasing others is childish?" Himeko crossed her arms and sat down on the chair next to him.
"Child? I'm just making life fun. If I don't tease that octopus-headed girl, what fun would it be?" Yumeji shrugged, trying to look innocent.
Himeko sighed, but instead of scolding like usual, she laughed lightly.
"You're hopeless."
The two of them were silent for a while, only the sound of the wind rustling through the trees could be heard. Himeko looked at the school grounds, then suddenly spoke up:
"Yumeji, I want to ask you something."
"What?" I turned to ask, my eyes filled with curiosity.
"Why do you have to make such a mess of things? I don't believe you don't know you're causing trouble for others."
Yumeji shrugged, turning away.
"What's the point of being troublesome? My life isn't interesting at all. What do you think I should do? Sit still and act nice?"
"Not really," Himeko replied, her voice low.
"But have you ever thought that causing trouble is just a way for you to avoid the truth?"
I paused. Himeko's question made him uncomfortable, as if she had touched a corner of his heart that he had always tried to hide.
"I'm not avoiding anything," he said, trying to keep his composure.
"Really?" Himeko tilted her head to look at him, her eyes sharp.
"You're always trying to make yourself different, but I think, deep down, you want to belong here, right?"
I fell silent. He didn't want to admit it, but Himeko's words had touched on something he had always tried to deny.
---
"So… what should I do?" I asked, lowering my voice.
Himeko looked at him for a moment, then smiled.
"Let's start with the smallest things. Instead of just teasing people, try to genuinely care about them. And if you can, stop acting like a child."
"Stop acting like a child? It sounds difficult," I said with a faint smile.
"It's difficult, but not impossible. I believe in you, Yumeji," said Himeko, her eyes softening.
"You believe in me?" I laughed.
"Did you forget that I was the one who made you lose all your salary last month?"
"I didn't forget. But I don't think you're a bad person either,"
Himeko replied. She opened her bag, took out a bag of fruit jelly, and placed it in Yumeji's hand.
"Consider it a reward for sitting quietly and talking to me. But remember, if you cause trouble next time, I'll punish you double."
Yumeji looked at the jelly bag, her eyes shining with surprise and a hint of emotion.
"Orange flavor… How did you know I liked this flavor?"
"I'm your teacher. How could I not know?" Himeko shrugged and stood up.
"Well, I have to go. Rest now, don't cause any more trouble."
Yumeji smiled faintly as he watched Himeko's back disappear. She wasn't as bad as he thought. And even though he didn't want to admit it, he felt that she was a much better teacher than he thought.
"My teacher, huh? Not too bad,"
Yumeji muttered, stuffing the jelly bag into his pocket.
"But don't expect me to change right away. Even if it is, it will only be a little, Himeko-sensei."
He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the rare peaceful afternoon.
While looking up at the sky and watching the clouds drift by, I muttered.
"I will change little by little, sensei. Although I don't plan on giving up my show-off habit. Because that's what I have to do. Because I'm 'Yumeji Satsuki' "
The sentence seemed to want to create a contradiction with the speaker himself, 'Yumeji Satsuki'.
____________
*End of flashback*
(What, you said you don't drink? Oh my god, this brat really has no taste!)
.....
(Did you and Kiana have another fight? I really don't know what to say. I wonder when you two will make up)
....
(Huh. Why are you staring at the vending machine so intently?
Huh? You said you like jelly, such a childish hobby. But then again, you don't have any money. Alright, I'll buy it for you, remember to keep it a secret from Principal Theresa)
(Oh! Yumeji! Come here and eat pizza with everyone!)
(Yumeji, what happened to your face?....Huh, you got hit by Fu Hua.
Training with Fu Hua? Yumeji, I didn't know you had such a hobby of digging your own grave. Come here, let me give you some medicine.)
.....
Each memory flashed through my mind as if it were just yesterday.
The hand that held the hilt of my sword trembled slightly, I pursed my lips. What could I do, maybe I had become weak.
I knew that I just had to follow the script, but the uncomfortable feeling of doing so made my legs stick to the ground, unable to move.
-Slap.
One step. Fu Hua with an uncertain expression quietly stepped forward with both fists clenched.
"Class President?"
Kiana asked worriedly, her lips trembling slightly because she knew the answer.
Finished, Fu Hua did not answer immediately but took a deep breath, her expression gradually cold as she spoke.
"I will handle this...
.....this is my responsibility"
The rhythm of her voice was extremely slow, causing the listener to calm down and stiffen.
One step. Then another, Fu Hua quickly advanced to the edge of the small cave created by the major's attack.
She looked down. Fu Hua squinted at Himeko, who was like a wild beast creating a circle of fire to mark her territory, still holding the golden sword tightly in her hand.
Fu Hua slightly closed her eyes and was about to jump down to confront Himeko, but she stopped in place because I reached out to stop her.
"....What do you mean, Yumeji?"
I smiled slightly and said loudly.
"Leave this to me, master."
Oh my god, if you make that kind of face, I can't leave this to you.
Others would think that Fu Hua's current appearance looked very indifferent, filled with will and determination.
But I saw it differently. The back that slightly hid the trembling with an indifferent face and that dark look looked so small and lonely, like a child that was holding back tears.
'Really, who said I'm your disciple. I really understand you too well, you stupid master.'
I didn't say any more flowery words, but only silently communicated through my eyes with Fu Hua.
No, perhaps it should be said that there were things that didn't necessarily need to be said out loud to be understood.
I looked at Fu Hua for a while, then quietly walked towards the edge of the cliff.
Fu Hua followed my gaze. What was in her eyes now?
'Doubt? Distrust? Worry? Hesitation? Anger? Perhaps just one look contained a lot of emotions, I wasn't a god so I didn't know what she wanted. But I know one thing, in Fu Hua's eyes contained the emotion that everyone was carrying right now, that is....'
'Wish'
A simple, small prayer for someone's safety.
Haha, although I'm not God or a saint, nor am I a talented person.
However, instead of relying on that lazy and unreliable old thief, I'd rather believe in my own ability.
'So don't worry, I've heard your wish, no, everyone's wish.'
I took a breath and jumped down.
-Thud!
Landing safely on the cold stone floor, I placed the sword in my hand on the ground and stood up, looking towards the center of the altar where the red beast resided.
I took a deep breath, the hot and poisonous air rushed into my lungs, causing me to frown slightly.
My hands trembled slightly.
Scared?
Of course I was scared, normally I would have turned pale and run away.
But....
Not now.
-Slap!
-Slap!
-Slap!
"Growl!"
Hearing the sound, the red demon Himeko turned her head and turned her attention towards me and growled.
The air began to heat up, the golden blade once again absorbed the heat and blew up a terrifying flame.
The heat touched my face, making it turn red like someone who had just come back from drinking.
The sweat dripping from my hair quickly evaporated without leaving a trace.
"....Boost x3"
I silently activated the skill, the red aura quickly strengthened my physical parameters.
"Come here!"
I shouted loudly to gain my spirit and also signaled the start of the battle.
-Whoosh!
Himeko quickly disappeared from my sight and quickly appeared right next to me, swinging the fire sword.
-Baanngg!!
The impact shook my eardrums, the heat rushed straight to my face, making it difficult for me to breathe for a moment.
Just one strike and my arm was already limp, and if it weren't for the enhanced senses from Boost, I probably wouldn't have been able to block that attack.
Jumping back to keep my distance, I bit my lip to regain my composure.
I raised my sword to eye level, took a deep breath, tightened my grip on the hilt, and charged forward to attack.
-Kenngg!
-Keengg!!
-Banggg!!
- Baanggg!!!!
The sparks from the collision of the two holy swords, the flames from the flames, and the violent shockwaves mixed together to create a storm of the magnitude of a natural disaster.
The ground was torn apart, the terrifying heat quickly burned and turned everything in the fight into dust.
-Boom! BOOM! BOOM!!
-BAANGGG!!
"Cough! Aghhhh!!"
I vomited blood when a sword strike aimed straight at my stomach, although I blocked it with the butt of the sword, the remaining force quickly sent me flying like a rubber ball.
Rolling a few times on the ground, I quickly regained my footing while using the sword as a crutch to maintain my balance. I don't know how many times I was kicked off the altar, the territory of the red beast Himeko.
It seemed that Miss Himeko would only attack within a certain area and not go any further. If it was any more, I would have complained about the difficulty. But,...
I put my hand on my stomach.
'I'll probably have a few cracked ribs at least'
"....."
I frowned and looked at the major, a light of sparkling blue flashing in my eyes.
The lingering emotions were still engraved on my blade. If Himeko had really lost herself completely, I would have been dead by now.
'You're still struggling, aren't you, Himeko-sensei'
What a troublesome teacher. You'll owe me a big debt after this, teacher. I'll make you pay with a month's worth of snacks. Hehehe
I thought absentmindedly to relieve some of the tension, relaxing my shoulders slightly.
If it weren't for the 'cloud flame' skill neutralizing the heat from the fire, I would have been a lump of charcoal by now.
Even so, my face was still covered in soot as if I had just come out of a stove.
Come to think of it, there was one thing I hadn't tried yet. That was a gamble that if I made even the slightest mistake, I would be dead.
But in this situation, I had to take a chance.
[The administrators were nervously sipping their drinks while enjoying this 'Climax' scene!]
These bastards, they really know how to distract people. They've been rambling on in my head for a while now, almost killing me several times.
Luckily, I have a good life, I didn't die.
I lowered my gaze slightly, let out a long breath to regain my focus, and once again I stepped into the territory of the red beast, the altar.